Thursday, May 12, 2016

In Finland, shared PV projects currently account for 13% of the nation's solar power production. It might well become one of the main driving forces for Finland's tiny solar sector, reports pv magazine. Now the percentage figure will increase.

Earlier this month, Helsinki-based energy company Helen commissioned the Kivikko solar plant, to be located on the rooftop of an indoor cross-country skiing hall in Finland's capital, Helsinki.

Sunday, May 8, 2016

In early March, America's millionth solar installation went on-line, reaching 27 gigawatts of generation capacity across all 50 states and 1 percent of U.S. electricity. This milestone marks solar energy's mainstream moment. It is also a powerful inflection point to consider how we ensure the next million installations spread solar's economic benefits to disadvantaged communities.

Solar can provide economic relief for struggling families via lower utility bills and well-paid career opportunities requiring no advanced training. The opportunity to deploy solar and create jobs in underserved communities is huge. Over 6 million affordable housing units currently exist in the U.S., and census data suggests around 22 million owner-occupied households have incomes at or below 80 percent of their area median income.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

(Note- this article makes the error of comparing the kilowatt price of the solar garden with incentives factored in with the cost of rooftop solar not including incentives or tax benefits. - Joy)

LA CROSSE — Despite lower than anticipated initial interest, Xcel Energy is poised to go forward with two community solar gardens in western Wisconsin.

Filings with state utility regulators show Xcel has sold only 12 percent of the available panels but anticipates selling 95 percent by the end of the year.

The company’s first annual report to the Public Service Commission shows 42 residential customers have subscribed to just over 99 kilowatts of the 2,000 available. Four commercial subscribers have agreed to purchase more than 140 kilowatts.

Solar arrays have sprouted across the Vermont landscape over the past decade, but policy makers weren't ready for one consequence of the solar boom: reaching the cap on new solar projects.

Last fall, Vermont’s largest utility, Green Mountain Power, hit the cap for how many mid-sized and larger solar projects it can hook up to the grid. That means many that were planned just won't get built this year.

At one farm in South Royalton, the limit has stymied the community’s plan for a shared solar array.